Capital governor announced as candidate for Indonesian presidency in elections set for July

JAKARTA, Indonesia – The political party of former Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri has nominated the capital's governor as its presidential candidate.

Joko Widodo, known affectionately as "Jokowi," has topped polls as the most electable candidate to run in the presidential election on July 9. The 52-year-old was elected as the Jakarta governor in 2012.

His growing popularity is driven by moves aimed at shoring up support among the poor and a clean track record. By naming him Friday as the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle presidential candidate, chairwoman Megawati is likely to secure significant votes for the party in the legislative election next month.

Indonesia, home to more than 240 million people, is the third largest democracy after India and the United States.